Nigeria ends state oil firm's role as Dangote refinery's sole buyer
By Isaac Anyaogu
LAGOS, Oct 11 (Reuters) -Nigeria's local fuel traders can now buy petrol directly from the Dangote Oil Refinery, ending state-oil firm NNPC's exclusive buying rights as the country moves to fully deregulate its processing sector, the finance minister said on Friday.
The Dangote Oil Refinery started processing petrol in September and announced that NNPC Ltd would be the sole buyer. This arrangement allowed the government to continue to provide subsidies on oil products.
However, NNPC hiked fuel prices by over 15% on Wednesday, selling petrol at market prices for the first time in over three decades, marking the exit from a costly subsidy programme that has strained its finances.
"This direct purchasing mechanism allows marketers to negotiate commercial terms directly with the refineries, fostering a more competitive market environment and enabling a smoother supply chain for petroleum products," finance minister Wale Edun said in a statement.
With a capacity of 650,000 barrels per day, Africa's largest refinery promises to ease oil producer Nigeria's costly reliance on imported oil products.
A Nigerian government committee chaired by Edun approved on Oct. 1 the sale of crude to the Dangote refinery in the local naira currency, with the understanding that the refinery would fully meet the country's fuel needs. The committee said this was the next step in the transition to a completely deregulated market.
The directive also affects all local refineries operating in the country.
Reporting by Isaac Anyaogu; Editing by Emelia Sithole-Matarise
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